r your own reputation as an
expert and a man of science, not to attempt the rather cliche
occupation of trying to rival Sherlock Holmes. Your suspicions may have
some distant justification, but only a man of infinite skill, tact, and
knowledge, with an almost abnormal gift for tracing elusive clues and,
when finding them, making them fit in with fact--only a man like
yourself, a genius at the job, could get anything out of it. You are
not prepared to give the time, and you could only succeed in causing
pain and annoyance beyond calculation. Just imagine a Scotland Yard
detective with such a delicate business to do. We have no Hamards here,
no French geniuses who can reconstruct crimes by a kind of special
sense. Can you not see the average detective blundering about with his
ostentatious display of the obvious; his mind, which never traced a
motive in its existence, trying to elucidate a clue? Well, it is the
business of the Law to detect and punish crime. Let the Law do it in
its own way, find its own clues, solve the mysteries given it to solve.
Why should you complicate things? The official fellows could never do
what you could do, if you were a detective. They haven't the brains or
initiative or knowledge. And since you are not a detective, and can't
devote yourself to this most delicate problem, if there be any problem
at all, I would suggest--I imitate your own rudeness--that you mind
your own business."

He smiled, and looked down at his visitor with inscrutable eyes.

At the last words Mr. Mappin flushed and looked consequential; but
under the influence of a smile, so winning that many a chancellerie of
Europe had lost its irritation over some skilful diplomatic stroke made
by its possessor, he emerged from his atmosphere of offended dignity
and feebly returned the smile.

"You are at once complimentary and scathing, Mr. Stafford," he said;
"but I do recognize the force of what you say. Scotland Yard is beneath
contempt. I know of cases--but I will not detain you with them now.
They bungle their work terribly at Scotland Yard. A detective should be
a man of imagination, of initiative, of deep knowledge of human nature.
In the presence of a mystery he should be ready to find motives, to
construct them and put them into play, as though they were real--work
till a clue was found. Then, if none is found, find another motive and
work on that. The French do it. They are marvels. Hamard is a genius,
as you say. He i